The couple exchanged their vows in the lobby of Multnomah County building moments after the ruling, in front of a crowd of onlookers.

Officials in Multnomah, Oregon’s largest county, had announced in advance that they would begin issuing marriage licenses immediately, with couples queuing outside courthouses since early this morning.

Exchanging rings with her partner, Geiger said: “I give you this ring as a token of my commitment and love.”

Bill Griesar, who was officiating the ceremony, announced: “It is now with great pleasure that I pronounce you spouses for life.”

The crowd loudly cheered the pair as their marriage was finally recognised, and they exited to confetti and rose petals.

The judge wrote in his decision: “Because Oregon’s marriage laws discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation without a rational relationship to any legitimate government interest, the laws violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.”